title: Anti-angiogenic effect of the total flavonoids in Scutellaria barbata D. Don.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Angiogenesis is closely related to the growth, invasion and metastasis of tumors, also considered as the key target of anticancer therapy. Scutellaria barbata D. Don (S. barbata), a traditional Chinese medicine, is being used to treat various diseases, including cancer. However, the antitumor molecular mechanism of S. barbata was still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effects of the total flavones in S. barbata (TF-SB) on angiogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with various concentrations of TF-SB. Cell viability was examined using the MTT assay. The scratch assay was used to detect the migration of HUVECs after treatment with TF-SB. The ability of HUVECs to form network structures in vitro was demonstrated using the tube formation assay. The chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay was performed to detect the in vivo anti-angiogenic effect. The expression of VEGF was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed that TF-SB inhibited the proliferation and migration of HUVECs in a dose- dependent manner. Simultaneously, TF-SB significantly suppressed HUVEC angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, VEGF was downregulated in both HUVECs and MHCC97-H cells after TF-SB treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TF-SB could suppress the process of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. TF-SB potentially suppresses angiogenesis in HUVECs by regulating VEGF. These findings suggested that TF-SB may serve as a potent anti-angiogenic agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China. dzj0911@126.com
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Wang-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hua-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yu-Guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Shu-Qun
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xi-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Ying
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031363:Scutellaria / Q000737:chemistry*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A